Dr Alessandro Giardini

Dr Alessandro Giardini
Paediatric cardiology
Central London


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Dr Alessandro Giardini Paediatric cardiologist in
London

MD PhD


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Dr Alessandro Giardini areas of expertise:

Professional statement

Dr Alessandro Giardini is a top cardiologist based at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London, specialising in paediatric cardiology. An expert on congenital heart disease, Dr Giardini is Director of Inpatient Services at GOSH, and also provides outpatient consultations for all manner of heart problems in children, including palpitations, heart murmurs, chest pain, and heart valve issues.

Graduating from the University of Bologna in his native Italy, Dr Giardini went on to undergo extensive training in paediatric cardiology both in Bologna and in San Francisco, USA. He is actively involved in research, having published over 120 articles in peer-reviewed journals. His unit at GOSH is a world leader in cardiac care. His philosophy is a patient-centric approach, delivering treatment with compassion and understanding, and personalising his consultations and treatment to each child and their family.


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 Credentials

GMC: 6165846

 Professional experience

• More than 20 years of experience
• Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, Great Ormond Steet Hospital (2007 - present)
• Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, Harley Street Clinic (present)
• Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, The Portland Hospital (present)
• Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, Chase Farm Hospital (present)
• Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, The Cromwell Hospital (present)
• Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, University of Bologna (2004 - 2007)

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 Sub-specialties

• Chest pain 
• Heart murmur 
• Palpitations
• Syncope
• Echocardiogram
• Paediatric cardiology

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 Education

• Research Fellow (Paediatric Cardiology), University of California, San Francisco (2004 – 2004)
• Specialist Training in Cardiology, Università di Bologna (1999 – 2004)
• MD, Universita degli Studi di Bologna (1992 - 1999)

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Languages spoken

  • English
  • Italian

Diseases, Medical Tests and Treatments

Chest pain

Chest pain can have various causes from a heart attack, to muscular pain or it could be caused by a panic attack.

Congenital heart disease

Congenital heart defects are abnormalities of the heart or great vessels that occur before birth. Medical advances have helped the treatment of these ...

Echocardiogram

An echocardiogram is a diagnostic test based on the use of ultrasonic techniques in the chest area. The ultrasound reaches several structures of the h ...

Heart murmur

Heart murmurs are sounds similar to the sound of the air of a torch. Heart murmurs are usually pathological, although in young children may be normal. ...

Palpitations

Palpitations are heartbeats of sudden onset, usually rapid and uncomfortable. Normally the cardiac variations are only perceived in a situation of stress, strong emotion or after performing a major physical exercise. But heart palpitations can occur in certain pathological states in which the heart rate increases in intensity and frequency, as in the case of tachycardia, which may be a symptom of cardiac or non-cardiac disease, such as serious anaemia, increased thyroid function, liver disease, or other conditions. Palpitations may also appear after the ingestion of alcohol, tea, coffee and other stimulants. ...

Syncope

Syncope, lipothymy or fainting are practically synonymous and are defined as loss of consciousness. In lipothymy, patients are aware that they are becoming weaker and that at any moment their body can collapse and lose consciousness. In the case of syncope, the patient suddenly loses consciousness without previous symptoms. The causes of syncope can be very diverse, from cardiovascular such as arrhythmias or cardiac conditions, to neurovascular, such as migraines and pharmacological or metabolic causes. Its treatment consists of keeping the patient with the legs elevated and the head lowered in a well-ventilated place and without too many people around. Secondly, if this is not enough, the primary cause of the patient's lymphocyte must be treated. As for treatment, there is no drug that prevents fainting. ...

Aortopathy

Aortopathy describes a disease of the aorta (the largest artery in the body, which carries blood from the heart).

Arrhythmia

Arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm. The heartbeat in a resting adult is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. When it increases significantly it is considered sinus tachycardia, when a  heartbeat slows down, it is sinus bradycardia. In tachycardia, the heart experiences a substantial acceleration due to tremendous physical effort. When alterations occur in the number of beats but not in frequency, it is considered cardiac arrhythmia. ...

ASD (Atrial septal defect)

Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a congenital heart defect where the septum that divides the atria (upper chambers) of the heart is defective or missing. This allows some of the blood returning to the heart without oxygen to bypass the lungs, meaning it doesn’t collect fresh oxygen before being pumped back around the body. This means that the brain and other organs receive less oxygen than normal. In the case of a large ASD, the bigger danger is large “shunts” of blood from one atrium to the other (particularly left to right), as the different pressure levels can damage the heart. ...

Chest pain in children

In children and teenagers, chest pain may be brought on by a number of things, including infection or injury to the chest wall (ribs, sternum and other bones, muscles and joints in the chest area), colds, acid reflux (heartburn), stress or anxiety, and asthma. In rare cases, it may be caused by a heart condition, though this is unusual. ...

Fainting in children

Fainting (also known as syncope, or passing out) is a temporary loss of consciousness, which may cause a person to collapse to the ground. It is usually caused by a sudden drop of blood flow to the brain. In children, this may be caused by a number of things, such as orthostatic hypotension (brought on by standing still too long or changing position), myocarditis, heart defects, head injuries, inner ear problems, low blood sugar and dehydration. The most common type of syncope, called vasovagal syncope, is caused when the vagus nerve is stimulated (perhaps by pain or stress), leading to the heart slowing and blood vessels dilating, which means that less blood reaches the brain. ...

Heart murmur in children

A heart murmur is an extra noise made by the heart, heard with a stethoscope. The noise may be completely natural and not indicative of any underlying problem (innocent murmur), but sometimes a murmur may be due to a problem with the heart, such as narrow or leaking heart valves or holes in the heart (pathological heart murmurs). ...

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease caused by the inability of relaxation of the heart, altering pumping blood into the bloodstream. The cause of this disease is hypertrophy (enlargement) of the walls of the ventricles. In general, patients show dyspnea (breathlessness) in response to heart failure but in many cases may be asymptomatic, and is considered one of the most common causes of sudden death in young people. ...

Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease is a rare disease that occurs in children causing the walls of the body's blood vessels to swell. It can affect any type of blood vessel: arteries, veins and capillaries. ...

Marfan syndrome

Marfan syndrome is a clinical pathology of genetic cause characterized by a disorder in connective tissue growth, mainly affecting the skeletal system, eyes, skin and the cardiovascular system. This disorder can also affect the lungs, the eyes and especially the heart, where it can cause aortic stretching or weakening, which is known as aneurysm or aortic dilatation. The physical appearance of people suffering from this syndrome is very characteristic: they tend to be very tall, with disproportionate hands and feet; great flexibility; deviation of the spine (scoliosis); may have sunken or very prominent thorax; and the face is narrow and thin, often with a small jaw. ...

Patent foramen ovale

The permeable foramen ovule is a congenital heart disease that is found in 25% of the adult population. The foramen ovule is a natural opening that allows the passage of oxygenated blood from the right atrium to the left during foetal life. This allows oxygen and nutrients from the mother to reach the brain and foetal organs. At the time of birth it gradually closes. However, in some people, such closure does not occur, which is known as patent foramen ovule. If there are no symptoms, treatment is usually not necessary. However, if a stroke has occurred, a new episode can be prevented with anticoagulant medication or closure of the foramen, which can be done with a device that is inserted into the heart through the veins, usually the femoral vein (percutaneous closure), or by surgery. ...

Sports cardiology

Sports cardiology is the set of tests that are performed to diagnose the diseases of the heart muscle that may pose a threat to the patient when practising any sport. Through a series of exercises, this analysis shows the tolerance and adaptation of the heart after intense physical activity. ...

Supraventricular tachycardia

Supraventricular tachycardia is a heart rhythm disorder. It is characterized by an accelerated heart rate, which occurs in the atrioventricular node. ...

Tilt table

The tilt table test is used to find the cause for spells of fainting. To perform the test, the patient must be attached by the arms and feet on a special reclining table, and an intravenous catheter will be inserted into one arm while blood pressure is monitored through the other. In addition, to analyse the heart rate, a set of electrodes connected to an electrocardiograph obtains constant electrocardiograms during the test. The individual will see their heart rate altered to such an extent that they will eventually lose consciousness, just as in a fainting fit. This way, the detailed results of the test let the professional set pharmacological treatment to prevent the patient from suffering any more fainting. ...

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Source: All information contained on this page as well as office hours available, are provided directly by the doctor who has the ability to update them at all times in order to keep the information as accurate as possible.
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    First consultation: £332
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